[title subtitle=”words and images: Catherine Frederick “][/title]
I first made this pie Thanksgiving 2017, and since then it’s become a family favorite! Tart, sweet, and bursting with fresh cranberries and subtle hints of orange zest. I best describe it as Christmas in every bite! Take this pie over the top with my favorite homemade pie crust. It’s simple to throw together and bakes up flaky and delicious. Make sure to keep this recipe around because your family will ask for it time and time again!
Ingredients for Crust
(makes 2 crusts, double this recipe if topping with lattice or using decorative cutters)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold & cubed
- ¾ cup vegetable shortening, cold
- ½ cup ice water (ice in the water, not just cold water)
Ingredients for Filling
- 3-4 large apples (I used Granny Smith and Honey Crisp), cored, peeled, sliced (½-inch slices, about 6-7 cups)
- 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold & cubed
- Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk)
Method
Preheat oven to 400°F. For crust: combine flour and salt in large bowl. Add butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter, combine butter and shortening into flour mixture until pea-sized bits of dough form. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, use two forks.
Add 1 Tablespoon of ice water at a time to the dough mixture, stirring after adding each Tablespoon. Don’t add more water than you need! Stop adding when large clumps start to form, anywhere from ½ cup to ¾ cup, just be sure you are adding it in 1 Tablespoon increments.
Move the dough to a floured surface. The dough should not be too sticky! Work the dough with your hands until all butter and shortening are combined and you can form it into a ball. Divide in half, or if doubling the recipe, divide into four equal portions. Flatten each portion into a 1″ thick disc. Wrap each disc separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (can be made up to 5 days in advance), be sure it’s covered well with plastic wrap!
For filling: stir together apples, cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in large bowl, set aside.
On a floured surface, roll out dough to 12” diameter. Place in pie pan, smoothing out dough as you go. Add filling, but do not allow any liquid from the filling mixture into the pie pan! Place cubed butter on top of filling, place in refrigerator.
Remove remaining dough from refrigerator. Cut into strips for lattice, use cookie or pie crust cutters to embellish your pie, or, keep it simple and cover filling with a 12-inch pie dough circle. Cut slits in top to form steam vents if not using lattice. Trim edges if needed, press to seal edges.
Prepare egg wash. Brush on the top of dough. Sprinkle dusting of coarse sugar over pie before baking (optional).
Place pie on baking sheet, bake for 20-30 minutes. Turn oven down to 350°F, bake for 30-40 minutes more. TIP: Place a pie shield or foil on edges of pie after the first 25 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning.
Let pie cool on counter for at least 2 hours so filling can thicken. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy!
*Leftovers may be stored, covered, in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
